Your intuition is real. Use it!

Why you should go with your gut

Somebody told me once that if I was having problems with a certain question on an exam or midterm that I should leave it blank and come back to it later. It turns out that someone was right. When we face complicated problems that stump us, this study out of Holland suggests that it's best to take in all the variables then ignore the problem for a while. That way you don't have a chance to get all mentally worked up about not being able to solve it. When you revisit it later, you'll know the answer. It's a matter of looking for answers to complicated questions in your gut rather than in your head. Don't bother trying this for simple problems though. It won't work as well because we're equipped to deal with simple problems rationally by thinking things through. We've got enough conscious brain power to do that, but it's a different story if the problem is complicated. That's when it's time to rely on your unconscious brain - your gut.
Heck - just knowing this would have saved me a lot of time with my ex-boyfriend. I kept thinking of how things could work out, he's such an amazing guy after all. Instead, I ignored my gut that told me it wouldn't. Knowledge is power. Now I know this in my conscious and my unconscious brain.